Larry Hogan's ex-chief, Roy McGrath, defended in books mysteriously published after his disappearance

Misty Severi

April 04, 03:43 PM April 04, 03:47 PM

Two books defending Roy McGrath, former Gov. Larry Hogan's onetime chief of staff who died on Monday after a confrontation with the FBI, were released in the days after his disappearance on March 13.

The self-published books, Betrayed: The True Story of Roy McGrath and Betrayed: The True Story of Maryland Environmental Service, were apparently written by a man named Ryan Cooper. The books paint McGrath as a "hard worker" who had "no record of wrongdoing." They call Hogan an antagonist who orchestrated McGrath's prosecution to avoid political blowback.

FBI PROVIDES UPDATE IN DEATH OF LARRY HOGAN'S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF

"In this day and age, anyone can publish a 'book' and repeat bizarre and baseless accusations, including fugitives from justice who are facing multiple counts of fraud," Hogan's spokesman David Weinman told WBAL-11 News.

The first book was mysteriously released 10 days after McGrath disappeared. The second was released a couple weeks later. McGrath was declared a fugitive last month. He was found in Tennessee after a federal manhunt that resulted from his failure to appear in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 13. Gunfire broke out when McGrath was found by the FBI, and he later died on Monday night after a weekslong manhunt. It is unclear if McGrath died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or if he was shot by an agent.

McGrath faced an eight-count federal indictment on charges including wire fraud. He was accused of securing a $233,648 severance payment equal to one year of salary as the head of the Maryland Environmental Service and faced fraud and embezzlement charges for roughly $170,000 in expenses.

The first book in the series, which was 52 pages, focused on the theft allegation. The book claimed Hogan approved the six-figure severance for McGrath to leave the Maryland Environmental Service and join him in the governor's office, but Hogan denied the claim. The book characterized Hogan as secretive and back-stabbing, and it nicknamed him "Lyin' Larry."

The book also claimed Hogan used the secure messaging app Wickr to contact McGrath. The book states that Hogan wrote: "I know you did nothing wrong. I know this is unfair. I will stand with you."

A spokesman for Hogan told the Washington Post that the message was sent before Hogan learned about how McGrath got the severance package.

The book included multiple handwritten notes that Cooper claimed were from the former governor, and it cites a press release from Hogan.

The second book, released on Friday, centered on McGrath's tenure as the executive director of Maryland's Environmental Service. It went into why the role played an important part in the prosecution of McGrath.

"In this second entry of the Betrayed series, we'll look at the [Maryland Environmental Service] story and why it was so central to the decision by Lyin' Larry Hogan to collude to persecute and prosecute Roy McGrath," the description reads.

Not much is known about the author of the books. Cooper describes himself as someone in their 60s but does not give his exact age. He says he is “semi-retired,” but he does not specify what he does for work. He says he is in “development” and “capital investments," according to the Baltimore Sun. He also says he used to live in Hagerstown, Maryland, and now lives in Florida.

McGrath's wife Laura Bruner claimed she did not know Cooper and had never met him. She was aware that the book was being written, according to Cooper. Bruner's attorney said she was aware McGrath was contemplating writing a book.

The book was written by Cooper, and he has denied rumors that he is actually McGrath, but a lot of the language in the books mimics McGrath's writing style.

'A bit biased': Obama lists wife Michelle's book on his 2022 favorites list

Asher Notheis

December 24, 01:19 PM December 24, 01:19 PM

Former President Barack Obama released his annual list of his favorite books, movies, and music, with his wife's new novel at the top.

The former president released the list on Friday, continuing a tradition he has had since president of releasing a list in December of his favorite books, movies, and songs released over the past year. Former First Lady Michelle Obama's new book, The Light We Carry, topped the list, with the former president jokingly admitting that he is "a bit biased on this one."

"I always look forward to sharing my lists of favorite books, movies, and music with all of you," Obama wrote on social media. "First up, here are some of the books I read and enjoyed this year. Let me know which books I should check out in 2023."

'WHY DO YOU HATE CHRISTIANS?': MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS BLAST LIBRARY AMID CHRISTMAS DRAMA

Other books included in his list were Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, Trust by Hernan Diaz, and The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacey Schiff.

In addition to his favorite books, Obama also released a list of his favorite movies from 2022, which included The Fablemans, The Woman King, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Top Gun: Maverick.

On the former president's favorite songs list of 2022, some of the songs included were The Heart Part 5 by Kendrick Lamar, Break My Soul by Beyoncé, and That's Where I Am by Maggie Rogers.

Warren claims voters mentioned they'd have backed her for president if she 'had a penis': Book

Cami Mondeaux

August 13, 01:43 PM August 13, 01:43 PM

In a forthcoming book detailing the ordeals of female candidates on the presidential campaign trail in 2020, then-prospect Elizabeth Warren exposed that several voters crudely informed her they would vote for her — but only if she was a person.

Those people sentiments echoed among the many voters, with quite a few telling marketing campaign workers for the Massachusetts senator that the place would “never have a lady president.”

HILLARY CLINTON BLASTS BERNIE SANDERS FOR ‘THINGS HE States ABOUT WOMEN’: Ebook

"'I misplaced it,' this organizer told me," wrote NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ali Vitali in her guide Electable: Why The united states Has not Put a Woman in the White Residence … But. "But that was the vibe. Women of all ages and males alike, both equally as explicitly as that but also implicitly, would just say, 'Look, I feel it’s wonderful what you’re undertaking … but America — it’s just not gonna occur.'"

"Every person will come up to me and says, 'I would vote for you, if you had a penis,'" the e book estimates Warren as expressing.

The anecdotes emphasize a more substantial battle that Warren and other woman candidates experienced while vying for the Democratic nomination, according to the e book. And that battle was figuring out how to persuade the state to elect a girl.

“In the finish, she couldn’t,” Vitali wrote.

Warren’s ordeals mirrored identical arguments from Hillary Clinton when she ran as the Democratic presidential nominee towards previous President Donald Trump in 2016. Soon after getting rid of the election, Clinton pointed to sexism as a contributing component to her defeat.

Electable: Why The us Hasn't Place a Girl in the White House … But is established to be released on Aug. 23.

Publisher will take blame for 'error' in Tim Scott memoir teasing presidential run

Abigail Adcox

July 31, 04:03 PM July 31, 06:44 PM

The publisher of Sen. Tim Scott's (R-SC) upcoming reserve explained a line was erroneously additional to a single of the internet pages claiming the lawmaker is making ready for a presidential run.

Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said it was operating to suitable the error immediately after a line was included in fantastic print to the bottom of the copyright website page in The us, a Redemption Tale, as noted by the Write-up and Courier.

NBA Fantastic Bill RUSSELL DIES AT 88

"Senator Scott is a mounting star who sees and understands the significance of bipartisanship to transfer The united states ahead. This e book is a political memoir that features his core messages as he prepares to make a presidential bid in 2022,” the line browse.

Scott's guide is scheduled to strike cabinets on Aug. 9, with presales by now underway.

The publishing business took blame for the mistake, including that it was working to appropriate the error.

"The description on the copyright website page was our error and is not precise. It was not performed at the way or approval of the Senator or his group. We are functioning to proper this straight away,” a spokesperson for HarperCollins Christian Publishing explained to the Washington Examiner.

Scott indicated in an interview with the Article and Courier on Friday that the e book is not meant to be a kickstart for a presidential bid. "That is intriguing that that is the copy on the book," Scott remarked.

It truly is not the initial time the senator has drawn speculation that he may determine to run in 2024, as he headlined an party for the Republican Party of Iowa in June.

Invoice de Blasio trashed as 'gross unshowered guy' by Democratic strategist

Jenny Goldsberry

July 09, 12:49 PM July 09, 12:49 PM

Former New York Mayor Monthly bill de Blasio has been blasted by a Democratic strategist in her however-to-be-produced reserve.

In an excerpt of the guide titled Any Offered Tuesday: A Political Like Tale, released by New York magazine, Lis Smith described de Blasio as the "gross unshowered person in college who showed up to Philosophy 101 and hogged ten minutes of course time to yell about the requirement of seizing the suggests of manufacturing."

“The probably incoming mayor of New York was childish, intellectually lazy, overconfident in his individual qualities, and annoyingly condescending,” Smith mentioned.

EX-NEW YORK Town MAYOR Monthly bill DE BLASIO DECLARES CONGRESSIONAL Operate

Smith has a lengthy job in politics, functioning on campaigns for President Barrack Obama, then-presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and previous Sens. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Then, she manufactured the controversial go to do the job for and then date previous New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Right before Spitzer had a romantic affair with Smith, he was in the end revealed as a consumer in a prostitution ring takedown, which forced him to resign as governor in 2008. Smith helped Spitzer on his 2013 campaign for metropolis comptroller, which he lost.

De Blasio allegedly tried to get Spitzer's endorsement whilst he himself was running for mayor in 2013, but he under no circumstances received a person. Smith appeared to take satisfaction in that failure in a further excerpt.

"Equally of us had tried out to get in bed with Eliot, but only 1 of us had been profitable," Smith wrote of de Blasio.

After the campaign, Smith interviewed for a posture with de Blasio's town administration, but she did not get the position. A political expert for de Blasio's recent congressional marketing campaign, Neal Kwatra, took to Twitter to share his feelings on Smith.

"So worn out of this revisionist heritage about what she actually did in 2013," Kwatra wrote. "She worked on Spitzer’s shedding marketing campaign for comptroller, a race that was miserably mismanaged. Then her buddy Hyers brings her about submit-major on deBlasio, when practically nothing fucking mattered apart from coronation."

Smith's reserve is 304 web pages and is set to be launched on July 19.

Initially edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone headed to auction

Luke Gentile

June 05, 07:00 AM June 05, 07:00 AM

A signed 1st edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is set to strike the London auction block.

The uncommon version of J.K. Rowling's 1997 function will aspect in the Christie's auction titled "The Artwork of Literature."

A mere 500 copies of the first novel in the Harry Potter collection were printed through the book's initial run, according to a report. At minimum 300 went to libraries, and the rest have been sold.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE DEFENDS 2nd Modification Subsequent STRING OF MASS SHOOTINGS

What helps make the initially edition so scarce are its problems, in accordance to the report. "Philosopher" is spelled incorrectly on the again deal with, and a wand is stated 2 times on a Hogwarts student's provide listing, the report pointed out.

Having said that, an additional critical aspect is the work's title.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the book's original title in the United Kingdom, but American publisher Scholastic adjusted the title to Sorcerer's Stone.

Scholastic reportedly believed the term "philosopher" would prevent younger folks from acquiring the guide.

The exceptional edition will hit the auction block July 14, and bidding is slated to begin at $250,000.